smith



No. 6l0,6|4. Patented Sept. I3, 1898..

W. 8. SMITH.

BICYCLE SADDLE.

(Application filed Dec. 10, 1896.)

2 Sheets$heet I.

(No Modem llivrrnn STATES" I ATENT Orricn.

WILLIAM S. SMITH, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

, BICYCLE-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,614, datedSeptember 13, 1898. Application filed December 10, 1896. Serial llo.615,227. (No model.) Patented in Canada January 22, 1897, No. 54,704:-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SANFORD SMITH, of the city of Toronto, inthe county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Saddles for Bicycles or otherFoot-Propelled Vehicles, (for which Letters Patent of Canada, No.54,704, were issued on January 22, 1897;) and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in saddlesfor bicycles and other foot-propelled vehicles; and the object of theinvention is. to so construct the saddle that it will provide a seat ofsufficient rigidity to enable the rider to propel the vehicle and ofsufficient flexibility and resiliency to relieve the rider of thatcommon and uncomfortable sensation known as jarring; and the inventionconsists, essentially, of an independent seat-plate located below thesaddletree and sustained by elastic supports connected to the under sideof the saddletree, the whole device being hereinafter more fully setforth, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a skeletonsaddle, looking at it from the top. Fig. 2 is a similar view looking atit from the bottom. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the saddletree. Fig. 4: isa plan view of the seat-plate. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of theupholstered saddle. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clip.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout thespecification and drawings.

A represents the saddletree, consisting of a stem a, terminating at oneend in a horn a and at the opposite end in two outwardlybranching curvedarms a ct. The inner edge of each of the arms Ct a is concaved, whilethe outer edge of each of the said arms is convexed. While not confiningmyself to any particular material for the saddletree A,

I prefer to make it of wood strengthened, when necessary, by a metallicplate B, fastened to its under side.

C represents the seat-plate, located below the saddletreeA andpreferably independent of any direct connection with it, the middle ofthe plate C being vertically below the middle of the stem a. Theseat-plate C, as shown in the drawings, is substantially heart-shaped(in plan) and consists of two pockets or recesses c 0, each adapted toreceive a seat-pad D. The pockets 0 0' forward of the middle portion ofthe plate are united and at the rear of the said middle portion areseparated by a space d slightly greater in width than the width of thestem a. The back of each of the pockets 0 c is curved to correspond withthe curvature of the inner edges of the arms a a. The pockets 0 c andthe connection between them at the forward end of the seatplate 0 aremade integral. Each of the pock= ets or recesses c 0 consists of abottom 0 and an upwardly-turned flange c at the outer edge of thepocket. Within the pockets or recesses c c are the seat-pads or cushionsD, made of any suitable material.

E E represent two sets .of elastic supports connected to the saddletreeand adapted to sustain the seat-plate C. Each of the supports E Econsists of a substantially V-shaped arm e 6, respectively connected atthefront end to the under side of the horn a of the saddletree A. Theend of each of the arms e e is coiled to form a helical spring f. Thesprings fare each connected to the under side of the arms a a" in theirproper relative position. Each of the V-shaped arms is connected to thehorn a of the saddletree by means of a bolt and nut g, and the springs fare simi larly connected by means of bolts and nuts 9 to the under sideof the arms a a. Connected to the under side of the saddletree A is thesaddle-spring H, which may be of any suitable shape.

I represents the clip for fastening the saddle to the saddle-post. Theclip I consists of a sub stantially U-shaped bracket J, the ends j ofwhich extend above the saddle-spring H, a yoke K above the spring H,through which pass movable block within the bracket J below the springII, the under side of the block M hav* ing a semicircular recess 0%,corresponding with a similarly-shaped recessj' in the bracket J. The topof the saddle-post passes through the ends j, nuts L, screwed on theends ,7, anda IOU saddle-post with sufficient pressure to rigidlyconnect the saddle-spring to the saddle-post. By so arranging the clipthat the tighteningnuts L are above the saddle-spring it is possible tobring the saddle-spring close to the top of the saddle-post. The movableblock M is provided with flanges m to embrace the sides of the U-shapedbracket J to maintain the block M in its proper position when movthesaddle-spring H. By providing the yoke K with a seat the possibility ofside motion on the part of the clip is practically avoided.

The action of the saddle is as follows: In riding over a smooth surfacethere is no action or practically no action on the part of theseat-plate; but the moment thata rough or uneven surface is reached theseat-plate O and supports E E yield sufficiently to relieve the rider ofthe vibration developed during the progress of the vehicle, the springsand seat-plate having su fficient strength and resiliency to return totheir normal position when the cause of the vibration has ceased. Byuniting the pockets 0 c the motion of one pocket is transmitted to theother, and by this means both pockets are caused to move unitedly, thusequalizing the action of the supports E E. In the'event of the breakageof one of the supports E or E the downward movement of the seat-platewill be arrested by coming into contact with the saddle-spring H. Theseat-pads or cushions elevate the rider sufficiently above thesaddletree A to prevent any portion of the saddletree coming intocontact with the genital organs either when the seat-plate is in itsnormal position or in its depressed position.

Having thus fully described my invention,-

what -I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is p l. Abicycle-saddle consisting of a seatplate, a saddle tree or frame havingat its rear end branching or diverging arms extending one in rear ofeach side of the seat-plate, said seat-plate being independent of thesaddletree and elastic supports secured at their front-ends to thesaddle tree or frame, and'diverging rearwardly and secured to the armsof the frame.

2. A bicycle-saddle consisting of a saddle tree or frame, of aseat-plate independent of said frame and supported below the latter byspring-supports the rear ends of which are secured to the rear arms ofthe frame, While their forward ends are secured to the front end or hornof the saddletree.

3. A bicycle-saddle consisting of a saddletree, an independentseat-plate, elastic supports sustaining the seat-plate connected to thesaddletree, each support consisting of a substantially V-shaped frameconnected at ing vertically to embrace the saddle-post. The yoke K isrecessed to form a seat is for the V end to, the hornof the saddletree,and a coiled spring integrally formed with the outer end of each arm,the upper ends of the springs connected to the saddletree, substantiallyas specified.

4. A bicycle-saddle consisting of a saddletree, an independentseat-plate, elastic supports sustaining the seat-plate connected to thesaddletree, each support consisting of a substantially. V-shaped frameconnected at the V end to the horn of the saddletree, a coiled springintegrally formed with the outer end of each arm, the upper ends of thesprings connected to the saddletree, and seatpads supported by theseat-plate, substantially as specified.

5. A bicycle-saddle consisting of a saddletree, substantially T-shaped,comprised of a stem, and two outwardly-branching arms at the rear end ofthe stem, a seat-plate located below the saddletree, the rear of theseatplate shaped to correspond With the inner edge of the said arms, anupwardly-turned flange surrounding-each side'of the seat-plate to formpockets for the seat-pads, and springs connected to thearms and stem ofthe saddletree, to sustain the seat-plate substantially as specified.

6. A bicycle-saddle consisting of a saddletree, substantially T-shaped,comprised of a stem, and two outwardly-branching arms at the rear end ofthe stem, a seat-plate located below the saddletree, the rear of theseatplate shaped to correspond with the inner edge of the said arms, anupwardly-turned flange surrounding each side of the seat-plate to formpockets for the seat-pads, springs connected to the arms and stem of thesaddletree, to sustain the seat-plate, and seat-pads supported by theseat-plate, substantially as specified.

7. A bicycle-saddle consisting of a saddletree, substantially T-shaped,comprised of a stem and two outwardly-branching curved arms at the rearof the stem, an independent seat-plate below the saddletree consistingof two pockets integrally united at their forward end, elastic supportsconnected to the under side of the saddletree to sustain the seatplate,each support consisting of a substantially V-shaped arm connected at theV end to the horn of the saddletree, and a coiled spring integrallyformed with the outer end of each arm, the upper end of the springsconnected to the under side of the outwardly- .branching arms of thesaddletree, substantially as specified.

8. A bicycle-saddle consisting of a saddletree, substantiallyT-shaped,fcomprised of a stem and two outwardly-branching curved arms atthe rear of the stem, an independent seat-plate below the saddletreeconsisting of two pockets integrally united at their forward end,elastic supports connected to the under side of the saddletree tosustain the seatplate, each support consisting of a substantiallyV-shaped arm connected at the V end to the horn of the saddletree, acoiled spring integrally formed with the outer end of each 5 arm, theupper end of the springs connected to the under side of theoutwardly-branching arms of the saddletree, and seat-pads supported bythe seat-plate, substantially as specified.

Toronto, November 20, 1896.

W. S. SMITH. In presence of- M. A. WESTWOOD, O. H. RIcHEs.

